Peter-phillips

I'm a keen amateur photographer and as you get into DSLR with interchangable lenses and flashes the value of the kit becomes significant.

Does anyone do a special policy for Thailand? I suppose I could try an all risks attachment to a Home policy - but in England there are a number of specialist policies available.Many thanks. Peter

Is there anyone who knows what this Law actually says? The press were all reporting "Air-conditioned ..." but I've heard some reports of people being told that all bars must comply.

So anyone actually know? (No opinions please .... just results from a translation of the law)

Many thanks. Peter

I too have a Minolta - good lenses are hard to come by. There is a guy in Pirom Plaza (opposite Merry King on Thanon Maha Chai - edge of China Town) who seems to specialise in the Alpha mount. I also check teh 2nd hand/Pawn shops whenever I see one - lots of kit lenses but ocassionally interesting ones - I picked up a 50mm f1.4 for 2000 baht - e-bay in England around 10,000 baht.

I think you may be confusing Sensor cleaning on a Digital SLR (which can be dodgy) and lens cleaning. Lens cleaning shouldn't be a problem - most camera shops sell lens cleaning fluids and special lens cleaning cloths (they are like lint free tissues). Simply put a couple of drops of the fluid on the paper and wipe the lens with a circular motion. Dry with a fresh paper. Make sure you use a lens cleaning fluid and don't apply direct to the lens - you make damage the special coatings they put on modern lenses. Another idea is to use microfibre cloths (same as glasses...wash and dry a couple of times and then use it to clean. If you already have smears though you are probably better to use a cleaning fluid.

PDF version.

Thailand_Camera_Resources.pdf

thanks for the link. I expect they will announce Pattaya's celebrations after the event as usual!

I need a break from Pattaya and enjoy taking photographs. Does anyone know where I can find a review of the planned activities and where?

Mark, thanks for the offer! I have aleady purchased a Visible Dust cleaning set!

An update on my sensor cleaningA friend brought me out my Visible Dust cleaning kit (14,000 baht) - the day before he arrived I left my camera on the back seat of a taxi in Bangkok - never to be seen again! So cleaning the sensor was a bit irrelevant! (ps have now replaced it - nice clean sensor).

However, whilst in Bangkok I asked about materials in Fotofile (3rd floor) - they didn't stock any but said their technician would do it for free. When I asked about exactly what he/she would do the answers got a bit vague - but it may be worth giving them a trial.

I have only had my Camera for around 7 months (a DSLR) but have found it extremely difficult to find decent suppliers. Many of the posts on this forum are around the "where can I find....?" issue.

Fotofile seem to have a monopoly.....but I'm sure there are many other good shops, locations here. For example ShutterPro, Camera World, Camera City ( I don't know where to find the last 2)I end up buying stuff from England and getting it brought over here. Crazy as I'm probably paying to much, waiting ages and would rather put the money into Thailand.

If everyone could share their experience as reponses to this post then I'll try and create a simple spreadsheet which maybe the Administrators could pin?

I would suggest some simple fields:

Type of resource : eg general camera shop, 2nd hand lens stockist etc;

Location:,

Web Site:

Experience / comments.

People could also fill in the gaps / add their own experience as we go.

Lets give it a try?

If you want to buy it here, Fotofile or World Camera are fairly good places to buy. Fotofile has a large selection, but oddly doesn't sell certain things, like Sigma lenses. World Camera goes into gray market, but their service is generally good.

I just came across this comment - I know Fotofile (and their shop upstairs) but have never heard of World Camera - where are they? do they have a web site?

I don't have a gallery as such - but this link takes you to my web-site galleries: Anna Jet Pictures . Most are related to the bar but there are also pictures from our holidays in England and more recently India. Pictures before May 2005 were with an Olympus, June-now Nikon (compact) and since late Nov '05 a Konica Minolta Maxum D5 (DSLR).

Thanks for the information regarding the Sony service - I'm delighted with my Konica Minolta Maxum D5 - there is nothing wrong with it - but I have been worried about service - does anyone else use the Minolta system?

Toni, I would love to hear what response you get from this company - I have a KM Maxxum D5 and I had understood that service was supplied from Singapore. Also, since the Sony takeover there may no longer be any service agents - unless Sony have appointed one. Please let me know your experience. Or indeed - does anyone else know about what Sony are doing re service for the KM DSLR cameras in Thailand?

Many thanks, Peter

Thanks for that - but I think it's essential and I think I trust myself more than a local camera distributor - my shop hadn't even heard of sensor cleaning! It is after all a piece of glass. I've ordered a kit from the UK.

If you want to check for yourself - take a picture of a bright sky with a telephoto at f22, ideally close focused (do this manually). If you change lenses frequently then you will probably see a few round marks and strange dots - this is dust on the sensor. Alternatively, simply look at the sky in your pictures taken well stopped down (f11+).

Anyone interested, I'll post my experience when the kit arrives.

Peter

I've got some horrible crud on my sensor and want to clean it. Scanning the internet tells me that simply setting clean mode and blowing it won't work! I either need static charged brushes or special cleaning pads and a very pure cleaning solution - or both!

I have a friend coming over from the UK in a few weeks time so could buy there - but does anyone in Bangkok stock this sort of kit? I live in Pattaya so I don't want to go there on spec!

Many thanks, Peter

Thanks Jean.....but a depressing answer! Trouble is that my local Fuji printer (5 baht for 4x6) also produces random colours! OK, they look reasonable - but still don't match what I expected!

Sorry everyone - I had tested it on a SanDisk ultra II 512 and a Kingston 2 gig Elite Pro and a Kingston SD 512. But it won't read Kingston 512 CF cards. So don't rush out and copy me! Will post when things are clearer.

I just converted my Epson Stylus Photo R210 to a continous inking system - obviously it doesn't use Epson ink. Although the colours are reasonable - they don't match the R210 driver so having spent time in PS getting colour etc how I want - I get something else when I print!

I think the answer is to get a printed colour chart from the new ink and get someone to build me a new colour profile. Does anyone know if someone does this in Thailand - and roughly how much it costs?

Alternative will probably be to revert to Epson originals.

Many thanks.

Peter

I just bought one in TUCK-com Pattaya. It's called an Exo - Miracle. The basic unit (multi-card reader, rechargable battery and charger) cost around 2,500 baht - IT city (top floor). It has a simple screen that just allows you to control the card readers. I fitted an 80gig 2.5 drive (loads of people sell them there) for 4,800. They fitted and formatted it for me. Total for 80 gig storage about 7300. Comes complete with a leather wallet cover and is same size a 2 packs of fags!

Haven't timed the downloads from cards yet - but seems ok, especially when connected to the charger. Win XP simply recognises it as 3 drives - 80 gig hard, and 2 removable storage devices - 1 for CF/Micro and the 2nd for most other cards. Manual says it will download 3.5 gigs on one charge. So I will also be using it as a back-up of some stuff if I need to access data whilst away.

I already have 3.5 gig of CF cards so I probably won't need to use it in the field - just with the charger connected back in the "loom" at night.

Peter